Refrigerator show case



J. WOOLF v REFRIGERATOR SHOW CASE Feb. 16, 1932.

2 Sheets-Sheet Filed May l5, 1930 e NN, e e\ e e e o o e\ a e e Illu h LE ullld Mh; Il m H H w t .m .a o e Or e e o efwwe-e e o JOSE *7 Feb. 16, 1932. J. wooLF Y `HEFRGERATCIR SHOW CASE 2 Sheets-Sheet A 2 Filed nay 5) 1930 l /n/vEn/ro/e, y JOSEPH 67 WOLF. Q '12... v ll/5 #rfa/BVE?! Patented Feb. 16, 1932 y L JOSEPH 'WOOLE 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA marasma snow cesa' Application med may 5, 1930. serial No. 449,870..4

My invention relates to im rovements in refrigerator show cases for butcher shops and the like wherein perishable products may be effectually displayed in an atmosphere 6 cooled by the circulation of air within the case past a refrigerated brine tank mounted longitudinally within the case.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved refrigerating show 10 case. L

Another object is to provide an improved show case having refrigerating means mounted longitudinally within the back of the 16 case whereby products may be effectually case and the temperature maintained at desired degrees.

A further object is to provide an improved device of the vcharacter described having means for. regulating the circulation of air within the case. v

Another Objectis to provide-an improved refrigerating show case wherein a longitudinally disposed brine tank is provided with a refrigerating coil extending longitudinal- 1y of the tank and having-progressively increasing numbers of turns toward the delivery end of the coil whereby a uniform cooling ma be obtained along the entire length of the tan and the case.

A further object is to provide an improved refrigerating device having flues extending transversely through a brine tank for circulating air therethrough, and also provided with shutters operable to regulate the ow of air through the lues.

A further object is to provide an improved case of the character described wherein products to be displayed are supported in spaced relation to the bottom 'and walls of the case to permit free circulation of air under and around said products.

A further object is to provide an improved device wherein the refrigerating 'neans are ell'ectually concealed to provide a maximum area of unobstructed display space and in whichi ready access may be had to said refrigerating means for cleaning, repair, 0r adjustment.

:5 A still further object is to providean '1111-' displayed throughout the Afull length of the yas shown in Fig. 4; and l afford access tothe tank 8.

proved show case of simple, compact, and highly efficient construction. I

I accomplish these and other objects by means of the improved device disclosed in the/ drawings' forming a part of the lresent in- 55 vention wherein like characters o reference are used to designate similar parts through- 'out the specification and drawings,

and in which v Y Fig. 1 is a broken perspective view of my oo improved case as viewed from the front; i 2 is a horizontal section of the case showmg a plan view of the refrigerating means and dis lay rack;

Fig. 3 is ab the upper portion of the case; Fig. 4 is a broken plan view of a refrigerating tank;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the tank f Fig. 6 is a broken back elevation of a portion of the tank showing a shutter mounted adjacent an air Hue thereof.

Referring to the drawings, my invention comprises a 'show case consisting of a base 1 75 and an upper display portion 2. The case is constructed in any suitable mannerl from heat insulating materials, and the upper display portion is provided with a transparent front 3 extending the full length of the case. ao The upper back portion ofthe case is provided -with suitable sliding doors 4 movable to afford access to the interior of the case. A Hoor 6 separates the base and u per portions of the case`and forms the ottom to S5 the upper display portion 2 of 1ghe case. The front and back wallsof the pper portion e toward 4the top of the case and are 'joine across the top by a relatively narrow top ortion 7. A brine tank vdesignated in eneral by the numeral 8 is mounted longitu inally within the up er display portion 2 of the case, prefera ly immediatel above the oor 6 and at the back of sald display portion 2,

preferably conver .within a recess 9 formed below the doors 4.

The back of the recess is closed by a door 11` hingedly 'mounted across the back of the case and arranged to swing downwardly toroken transverse section of c5 The brine tank 8 is preferably formedA in a single u nit extending substantiall the full length of the case, as indicated inthe drawings. The tank 8 is formed from suitable sheet metal and is provided with a plurality of spaced air-lues 12 mounted to extend transversely through the tank and open-v ing through the frontand back of the tank.

A shutter 14 ismounted upon the back of the tank 8 adjacent each Hue 12, the shutters preferably being slidably mounted between guides 16 secured upon the back of the tank whereby the shuttersinay be moved independently to cover desired portionsfof thel adjacent iues to limit the circulation of air therethrough.

A refrigerating coil 17 is mounted longitudinally within the tank 8. The coil 17 is connectedl at vone end to an inlet connection 20 18 and at the opposite end to an outlet connection 19, said connections 18 and 19 being connected to Ia suitable refrigerating machine, notvshown. The coil 17 consists of a lurality of spiral turns arranged in groups 5 etween adjacent flues 12, each group being,

vconnected to adjacent groups y1 portions 17 extending over the intermediate ilue.

Pro ressively increasing .numbers of turns are ormed in successive groups from the inau let to the outlet ends of the coil to provide V progressively increasing length of coil in the roups of turns remote rom the inlet, as disclosed in Fig. 5.of the drawings.

The tank 8 is provided with a cover 21 fitted onto the top of the tank and having a plurality of apertures 22 `formed therein whereby moisture from brine contained within the tank may be absorbed by the air within the case to maintain the humidity of o said air. v

The tank 8 is supported upon suitable legs 23 supporting the tank above the floor 6 and spaced from the backand top of the recess 9 to permit a free circulation of air around 5 the tank for the full length thereof.

A plurality of supports 24 are mounted uponthe floor 6 ofthe case, said supports extending transversely of the case with the ends of the supports spaced from the front and back of theu case. The supports are .spaced longitudinally of the case, preferably midway between the flue passages 12 ofthe tank 8. A plurality of slats 26 are mounted in spaced parallel relation upon the supports'to extend longitudinall from one end. of the caseto the other. T e slats 26 are supported above the plane of the Hoor 6 and form a. rack to support aplurality of display trays 27 for displaying meat or other so products to be displayed. A slat 28 is .mounted upon edge across the forward ends of the supports 24 to engage the forward .edges of the trays 27 and hold said trays spaced from the front wall ofthe case. The U5 upper edges of( the supports 24 are preferf ably inclined downwardly 4from the back to the front of the case to sup ort the trays 27 in an inclined position w ereb products may be eifectua'lly displayed. he spaces between adjacent supports 24 afford uii- 7 obstructed passages for air to circulate under and around the trays 27.

In operation, roducts, such as meat, fish, or other perisha le goods tobe displayed in a refrigerated atmosphere, Vare placed upon 75 the trays 27 within the case whereby the products may be observed through the tranS-. parent` front 3 which is preferably formed rom three spaced panes of glass to prevent `frosting of the glass.

The 'tank 8 is filled with brine to a level l above the top of the coil 17 and cooled by the action of expanding liquefied gas within the v coil in the well known manner, the as be- `ing compressed and admitted into t e coil 17 through a restricted orifice inthe inlet connectionl 18 land the expansion of said f liquefied-gas within the coil o erating to absorb heat from the surroun ing brine and reduce the temperature to a desired degree. The ordinary concentrated calcium brine is used whereby the brine may be reduced to a `very low temperature without freezing.

` The liquefied gas expanding within. the coil 17 absorbs heat rapidly las it expands 95. throu h the first few turns of the coil adjacent t e inlet so thatthe inlet end of the coil will be` quickly reduced to'a frosting temperature while the coilsw more remote from the inlet will be only slowly reduced in teinperatiire. Thisresults in a material variation in the temperature of the tank at the inlet and outlet ends thereof. I compensate for this variation b providing an increased .number of turns o the coil as the distance 4105 from the inlet isincreased, thus affording an increased area of coil and thereby increasing theabsorV tion of heat fron` the brine proportionate y This results in increasin' the speed with which thel frost line is a 110 vanced alongthe tank from the inlet to the outlet ends thereof, when the refrigerating machine lis first started, and insures a subfstantially uniform temperature alon the full length of the tank after the desire tem erature has been obtained. For verv long s ow cases, the single brine tank may e provided with longitudinally spaced coils having separate inlets and outlets, or two se arate tanks and coils may be mounted in ongitudinal alinement to further increase the rapidity with which the brinemay' be cooled and to further insure uniformity of temperature. AsV this modification vis of an obvious nature, detailed illustration of this modification is omitted from the drawings. yAs the temperature of the .brine within the tank 8'is reduced, the air immediately surrounding the tank and particularly within the 'lues 12, becomes cooled and tends to move 130 toward the' front of the case to displace the warmer and li hter air occupying the forward ortion the case. At the same time the re atively warmer air within thetop of the case is drawn downwardl onto the tank 8 and through the ues 12, t iereby causing a circulation of air around the tank and through the flues 12,`the cooled air movinn. forwardly under the trays 27 and aroun lo the products displayed thereon.

T e circulation of air through the lues 12v is regulated by meansof the shutters "14 to suit var ing conditions. During cold seasons, an when the natural humidity of the l air is high, a proper ref-rigerating of the products displayed is obtained by reducing the circulation of air within the case. This is accomplished by moving the shutters 14 to cover desired portions of the lues 12 and thus restricting the circulation of air` therethrough. .f y The shutters are independently adjustable to permit a variation in the circulation within different portions of the case. This permits the iues 12 to berestricted to a greater degree at one end of the case than at the other to compensate for different conditions resulting from the fact that the doors 4 at one end of the case are usually opened more frequently than the doors at the opposite end. The hinged door 11 aiord's ready access to the tank 8 for cleaning in and around said tank and for adjusting the shutters 14. The door also permits the tank to be inserted and removed as a unit when necessary.

While I have illustrated and described my invention in what I now regard as the preferred embodiment, the device is subject to modification in numerous details of construe-f` i tion and arrangement without departing from the spirit of my invention. lI therefore desire to avail myself of all modifications which may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A refrigerator 4show case comprising a case havinga transparent front; a brine tank mounted longitudinally 'within the case; a.

f plurality of air ues formed transversely through the tank a refrigerating coil mounted within the tank to cool brine therein, said coil having progressively increasing numbers of turns between successive flues fromy the intake to the outlet end of the coil; and a display rack mounted within the case to support productsto be displayed in spaced relation to the bottom and walls of the case whereby air moving pastthe tank may circulate under and around said products.

2. A. refrigerator show case" comprising a case having atransparent front; a brine tank mounted longitudinally within the case; a

5 plurality of air `-lues formed transversely through the tank; a refrigerating coil mounted within the tank to cool brine therein, said coil having progressively increasing numbers of turns between successive iues from the intake to the outlet end1of the coil; a display rack mounted within the case to support products to be displayed in spaced relation tol the bottm and walls of thecase whereby air moving past the tank may circulate under and around said products; and shutters mounted adjacent each air flue to regulate the circulation of air therethrough.

3. In a refrigerator show case, a brine tank mounted longitudinally of the case; a plurality of air flues -mounted transversely through the tank; and a refri erator coil mounted longitudinally within t e tank and provided-withrogressively increasing numers of turns etween successive iues from the intake to the outlet ends of the coil.

4. In a refrigerator show case, a brine tank A mounted longitudinall of the case; a lurality ofair /flues mounte transversely t rough the tank; a refrigerator coil mounted longitudinally within the tank and provided with progressively increasin numbers of turns between successive iues rom they intake to the outlet ends of the coil; and shutters adjustably mounted adjacent each lue and independently o rable to regulate the circulation of alr t rough each flue.

In witness whereoffl hereunto set my signature.

JOSEPH WOOLE ioo 

